It's His Life
This story is to explain the extremely brief time between Nōsei's graduation from the academy and his addition to Team 14. In addition to the basic storyline this article provides, insight into the character of Nōsei separate from his existence in a team will be introduced here. The night before... The graduation of Kirigakure's ninja academy had just let out where many young shinobi had been granted the rank of genin. While a majority of these prospective additions to the military of the Land of Water had stayed behind to enjoy the enjoyment of their supposed achievement with their families, a young shinobi wanders down the streets of the village away from the congregation of souls. The weather is unusually clear for the village of the Mist and bright sunlight illuminates the streets and alleys. As he treads down the dirt path past the stores and homes of people he has never interacted with, Nōsei merely keeps his eyes lowered wondering what kind of people he will have joining his team tomorrow. Quickly cutting off of the main road and making his way up a flight of stairs Nōsei comes to the door of a run down looking apartment building. Producing a key from his pocket he opens the door to reveal his dreadfully small one room space that looks as if it was originally used as storage location. He closes and locks the door behind himself and makes his way into small enclosure acting as a washroom. Some time later, after cleaning himself up, he steps back into his concrete abode an notices that the sun has begun its slow decent behind the buildings of the shinobi city. Nōsei wears a solemn expression as he stares at the fading light before being interrupted my cold and hoarse voice from behind. He slowly turns around notices what appears to be an athletic ANBU member donning a panther styled mask enveloped by the shadows of the corner. "Good evening," Nōsei responds quietly before taking a seat on floor. "You know the drill," continues the ANBU member disregarding Nōsei's polite greeting. With this the young shinobi merely begins to explain the course of the past week with the visitor, carefully explaining the actions of the educational body. The masked man merely listens in silently before abruptly cutting Nōsei off. He then asks what team he has been assigned to and who is leading said so team. "I've only been informed of the location to meet them tomorrow morning," explains Nōsei, "I've yet to meet them or to learn their names." "Fine," responds the ANBU coldly, "Remember that you have-" "I know..." Nōsei quickly jumps in, "I promise I'll be there." "Why are you promising me? Don't be late," the masked one barks before disappearing without another word. Nōsei bids his visitor farewell, but his words are only heard by the lonely walls of a building that was never truly a home. For a moment the newly ordained shinobi remains on the floor pondering his responsibilities when he suddenly jumps up appearing to have remembered something important. With a look of slight happiness he turns toward the window only to learn that the sun has already been hidden by the horizon. His minor moment of elevation is instantly dispersed as he falls back onto small bed and proceeds to stare at the water stained ceiling, feeling throughly defeated. After a few minutes of sulking Nōsei rolls himself off of the bed and makes his way over to a small cabinet from which he pulls a small package containing a small loaf of bread. He tears a piece off and proceeds to eat a small dinner. He then moves back toward his bed and pulls a kunai out from underneath the mattress and leaves his room after slipping the blade into his sleeve. Back on the street Nōsei passes by many people heading home from their various activities none of whom recognize him or pay him any attention. After several minutes of navigating through an apparent maze of streets Nōsei arrives at the gate of an expansive looking estate. A guard wearing tattered clothes and holding a bottle grunts at the young shinobi before knocking on the gate with a particular pattern. Almost instantly the gate is opened a mere few feet from the inside. Nōsei thanks the guard who ignores him and takes a drink from his bottle. The genin slips through the door and is immediately escorted into a large building. It is here that Nōsei is led into a overly decorated dining room with a equally dressed man sitting at the head of a table. "Ah boy...just on time, would you like something to eat before we get started?" asks the man who is to be identified as the merchant lord who Nōsei is supported by. The young shinobi greets the man and explains that he already ate. "Good boy," the merchant responds licking his fingers before standing from the table and motioning Nōsei to follow him. They move towards the back of the building to find a hatch leading to a spiral staircase leading down to into an abysmal pit. As Nōsei follows the merchant into the hole in the earth the smell of mold and blood becomes increasingly present. Finally the two of them make it to a long hall filled with prison cells. They walk down the hall past a few cells before diverting off into a large room with drains positioned sparingly across the bloodstained and cracked tile floor. A single dim light in the center of the room hangs from the ceiling swinging slowly. Leaving Nōsei behind, the merchant walks back out of the from whence they entered and both closes and locks an iron barred gate preventing escape. The merchant barks an order into the darkness of the underground prison and immediately another gate on the other side of the room from Nōsei is opened as three men wearing rags and appearing quite tormented are pushed out onto the tile floor. The prisoner's path is locked behind them by a rusted yet solid door. "Gentlemen," the merchant speaks through the iron bars, "Your path to freedom is blocked by this single gate. Unfortunately for you it happens to be locked." The prisoners begin to murmur amongst themselves as Nōsei merely stands before them in front of the gate. "There are only two keys in existence for this gate....one is with me, the other...with the boy in front of you. You have thirty minutes before your scheduled execution...what will you do?" The men once again murmur as one, with a notably scarred face, pulls himself to his feet and rushes at the young shinobi. As the he approaches the genin Nōsei allows the kunai he had concealed in his sleeve to slide out into his hand and sidesteps to avoid the prisoner and proceeds to kick the man directly below the left side of his ribcage. The scarred man falls to his knees holding his side as his bald cohort runs to his side as Nōsei begins to move around to a thin man who had yet to move. This man, having long stringy hair covering his face, stands and simply stares at Nōsei. The young genin unwilling to charge this man is caught off guard by the bald man who attempts to crush him by grabbing him around the waist from behind. Under the pressure the shinobi is forced to drop his kunai which clangs upon the tile. Without wasting anytime Nōsei slams his head back into the face his attacker causing him to be dropped. Holding his ribs...which have sustained damage from the assault the genin is forced to roll out of the way of the scarred man who attempted to kick him. Shaken, but not defeated, Nōsei stands up as the two prisoners start to move towards him. The bald man, whose face was was covered in blood, charges with a angry snarl. Likewise the shinobi rushes his attacker and lands a powerful kick in his chest causing the man to fall back and slam his head against the floor. Before he has a chance to react the scarred man grabs the genin and swings him away from the bald prisoner sending him sprawling across the floor. As Nōsei stands up once again the scarred man grabs him by his neck and left arm and pins him to a wall while attempting to choke the life out of genin. Nōsei begins to pass out when he here the merchant's voice. "Are you really this weak...boy," the merchant says from behind the iron bars. It was then that Nōsei loses conscientiousness only to wake up on his bed covered in moonlight. The genin sits up and holds his now aching head and notices something new laying up against the wall. He wanders over to find a what appears to be a new katana leaning up against the wall attached with a note. Upon reading the "FOR A JOB WELL DONE" he notices something on his hands. As the light shines over them he sees that that they are covered in dried blood. Oddly not surprised, but upset, he slams his hand against the wall and drags himself to to his washroom to wash off the blood before trying to get some real sleep. Unfortunately thinking about what he may have done will haunt his subconscious along with the single word "Why." The morning that began it all.... As the slightest hint of dawn begins to creep over the Village of the Mist casting a soft blue glow upon the silent buildings and empty streets, a young shinobi lays in his bead unable to sleep. Both the past and the future clouded Nōsei's mind as he lay there pondering. He hadn't slept well the night before and he was concerned about his performance today as a result. Staring at the ceiling moist with condensation from the fog which the city was named, the newly appointed genin was starting feeling a bit anxious about joining a team. Sitting up he looks around at his room slowly as a nearby crash startles him, followed by what sounds like people yelling in a nearby apartment. Unfazed by the disturbance after the initial crash, which was a common occurrence in his apartment, Nōsei slowly begins to prepare for the day ahead of him. After verifying the contents of his equipment pouch Nōsei secures it behind him on his sash and feeling his forearms underneath his shirt the genin confidently leaves his home carefully remembering to lock the door behind himself. Outside the clear skies from the day before had returned to their characteristic misty appearance as Nōsei made his way toward the designated meeting location for his team. He would be quite early leaving at this time, but that was okay with him. He needed to get something to eat this morning anyway, for he was out of food and hadn't had sustenance since the night before. Now arriving at the empty academy where team 14 was to meet this morning Nōsei takes a seat in the back of the classroom designated before hand. He was surprisingly early, taking into account that he had wasted much time standing in a small shop waiting to get breakfast. Unwilling to speak up in the crowd he was merely passed by other patrons. It wasn't until unnecessarily nice woman noticed him in the back of the building and called him up to place his order that the young shinobi received any attention. Still at this time, in the back of the classroom, Nōsei felt strangely at home in the classroom. Fatigue soon swept over the genin from the lost sleep beforehand and he began to rug his eyes and immediately startled himself. He quickly moved dug into his equipment pouch and pulled out a pair of black sunglasses. Securing them upon his face he glanced around with a worried demeanor before looking in his pouch again. Staring intently at the forehead protector he then removes from his satchel, he anti-climatically ties it to his left leg over his baggy shorts. Pondering the fact that this was perhaps his ascent into the world of ninja Nōsei slumps over in the desk and drifts into a well deserved sleep as he waits for the arrival of his peers and instructor. [[An Unexpected Call to Arms|'To Be Continued....']]